


Eddsworld Past-Tense

by jackinthebox123



Series: TomTord Oneshots Series! [2]
Category: Eddsworld
Genre: Basically, Holocaust Era, M/M, Other eras by request, Past, Past Events, Victorian era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 12:44:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11646819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackinthebox123/pseuds/jackinthebox123
Summary: What if Edd, Tom, Matt, and Tord were born in a different time?





	1. Explanation!

Hey everyone! I decided that the idea of putting them into different times and whatnot intrigued me. The first one, which I'm already working on, puts them in the holocaust.   
Feel free to request anything for this theme!  
The first chapter will be out soon!  
(I'm only going into the past, because it's easier lol)


	2. Holocaust Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edd and his entourage were in Poland on vacation when it was taken over. Now they're stuck here, and two of them are being hunted down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at this but I'm doing it anyway.  
> Angst. I like to make my babies suffer.

Tom tapped his fingers nervously on the table, constantly glancing out the window. They were eating a meager lunch at the table, and everyone was about as nervous as Tom was. But not quite. They couldn't be, seeing as this didn't hang their lives by a thread as much as his.  
“Tom, the neighbors will send us a message if they're coming.”  
“I don't care.”  
“Fair enough.” Edd taps his fork against his ceramic bowl, then sets it down. “Who will help with the washing up?”  
Matt, who was attempting to investigate his reflection in a spoon, looked up. “Well it can't be one of them in case the soldiers come in the middle of it.” He gestures at Tom and Tord with his spoon.  
Being smart, for once.  
“Alright Matt, thanks for volunteering.” Matt suddenly realized his mistake. “Oh actually-”  
“Nope you're helping me.”  
Tom slammed his fork down. “I'm not hungry.” He stormed over to his seat by the window, and Tord looked at everyone then joined him.  
“Tom, if our hideout works we should be perfectly fine. They do the sweep monthly, we have another month before they come by again.”  
“Tord shut up you're not-”  
Their gazes are caught by a flashing light on the wall. Tom pales, then lurches to his feet and pulled Tord along.  
“They're in the neighbor's house!”  
Edd came out of the kitchen and held up the floorboards, where there was a small pocket of space underneath for Tom and Tord to hide in. “Hurry hurry!”  
Tom jumped in and Tord came in after him. “Okay Edd put it down!”  
Edd lowered the floorboards, casting then in the dark.  
“Tom you're choking me.”  
Tom hadn't even realized his hand was on Tord's neck, and he quickly let go. “Sorry.”  
There was a knock on the door.  
“SHHH! Tord shh!”  
Tord threw Tom a glare over his shoulder that couldn't be seen in the darkness.  
“Is this the residence of Edward Gold?”  
“Ah, one second please!” Edd was internally panicking. But everything should work out, it HAD to. He set down the dish and put his shaking hands behind his back, walking out to meet the Nazi officer.  
“I'm sorry! I was doing the washing up after dinner, and didn't want to come out with sopping hands.” He held out a hand to greet them, which was coldly ignored.  
“Alright Mr.Gold. We are required to do a search of the house as Thomas Thompson the Jew and Tord Lawson the criminal have been sighted nearby.”  
Edd hid all reaction when he heard the names. “Matt! Get out here.” He called into the kitchen. Matt came out a couple seconds later, holding a plate and a towel and looking grumpy. “When this has suds all over it, I can't see reflections in it! Oh! Hello there, officers!”  
“Is this Matthew Gold?”  
Edd nodded. “Yes, sorry, he was finishing up while I spoke with you all. This is everyone in the house, I assure you!”  
The officer snorted derisively and motioned the other two officers with him to follow him inside. “Please stand aside.”  
Edd quickly moved, letting them in.  
Meanwhile in the dark hole that Tord and Tom were squished in…  
Tord was facing away from Tom, trying to see out of the smallest crack, but he couldn't see anything except the ceiling.  
He felt Tom shaking behind him, and turned around, wrapping his arm around Tom's waist and pulling him into a hug.  
They hugged silently, Tom shivering, as the officers finished downstairs and went upstairs.  
Finally Tom barely whispered. “I'm so scared.”  
Tord nodded and rubbed his back soothingly. “Only tw-” he shut up as he heard thumping on the stairs. The footsteps got closer, then walked right over where they were.  
Tom paled as he heard two hollow thumps, and Tord clenched him tighter, mouthing words, probably in Norwegian. “Hey! Gold! What’s under here?”  
“Oh, th-that's just my old wine cellar. All it has is dusty bottles, it's nothing-”  
The creak of the floorboards being risen was their only warning as the soldiers found them, pathetically hugging each other.  
“Out.”  
Tom felt Tord grabbing his gun. “Tord no!” Tom whispered, then fell, too scared to hold himself up.  
Leaving Tord to hold him up. Which he did. And shot glares at the officers as he and Tom stumbled out of the hole. He kept the hand with the gun behind Tom's back, as though just holding him up. As the officers moved closer, he suddenly whipped his hand around and shot two of them dead before the third knocked him out with the butt of their rifle.  
“Resisting arrest. You just had to add to your criminal record. You're lucky I didn't like them anyway.”  
He kicked Tord in the side, and Tom was sure he heard a snap.  
“Now, I believe by your freakish eyes that you are Tom?”  
“I gave up being Jewish years ago!”  
“Tell that to Hitler.” Was the last thing he said before he was hit over the head with a frying pan.  
As soon as Tom saw he was down he ran over to Tord. “Tord wake up.” He slapped him. “Tord!”  
Tord came to consciousness with a grunt, cupping his cheek. “Ow…” he clutched his head. “Owwww!”  
“Get over it we have to do something! Now! You just killed two freaking Nazis we'reallgonnadie!”  
“We're not gonna die Tom. In fact, you're welcome, I just saved us from that!”  
He sat up. “They would've taken us to a camp, Tom. Edd, we're going to have to leave. If we don't get out of the country they're going to hunt us down, and you'll be killed too. You can stay here and plead innocence, or you can come with-” he cursed and fell against Tom. “Sorry, dizzy. You can come with us. There's always the chance of death anywhere we go.”  
Edd looked at him, then Matt, then Tom. “I couldn't leave you guys.”  
“Then come on.”  
They packed a bunch of stuff that they'd need, then heard more soldiers coming up the street. “Ah no. Hurry!”  
Edd grabbed a bag, and Matt, and Tom and Tord followed behind as they went out the back door, racing down the alley. Matts pack was clanking annoyingly, and Edd stopped him. “Matt, what do you have in there?!?”  
“Um…”  
“Show me.”  
Matt sighed and opened his pack, which was filled with mirrors. “I can't leave them behind-”  
“Take one. One. Unless you stifle the sounds-”  
Matt took off his overcoat and carefully put it in his sack so it didn't make noise. “There!”  
Edd narrowed his eyes. “Fine, but if it makes any more sound then I'm throwing them out myself.”  
“Fine!” Matt sticks his tongue out and they keep walking. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes there's gonna be a second, maybe a third.


	3. Holocaust (2/2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is REALLY LONG  
> Enjoy :)  
> (So I was at work and someone just fucking stole some ice cream. The hell?)

“I'm not afraid to shoot!” Tord shouts, standing in front of Edd, Matt, and Tom, looking toward the shadowy figures at the entrance to the alley.  
They'd thought this alley went through to the other side, but it was a dead end. They'd been trying to get away from the soldiers they had noticed walking toward them, and ran for a good block and a half, thinking they'd lost them.  
And yet, the figures stood at the entrance to the alley, five or more, and slowly advanced toward them, rifles raised.  
But when Tord finally got a good look at them, he fell into confusion. Because they weren't wearing the Nazi uniforms.  
They looked like civilians with guns.  
Tord became all the more wary, pushing the others back. The less he knew about an enemy, the more wary he became.  
One of the civilians nudged another, whispering excitedly in his ear. “It's him!”  
The recipient shushed him, then addressed Tord.  
“Who are these others with you?”  
Tord narrowed his eyes. “It no business to anyone who won't tell me who you are. And it's no use threatening me, I'm willing to die allow them an escape.”  
The leader sighed and waved everyone to put their guns down. “I'm Alex. We're with an organization that's been looking for you for a while. Not- not to take prisoner, unless it comes to it. But we have a couple people who may be glad to see you.”  
Tord narrowed his eyes. “I don't trust-”  
“We're not Nazis, if that's what you're worried about.”  
Tord sighed, straightening up. “Take me to your… organization, or whatever. But I won't go near other people until you bring out these two people.”  
Alex nodded and motioned for his people to surround them, and Tord immediately got defensive again.  
“Alright alright we'll just lead you.” They led them down some streets, mostly by the back alleyways.  
Then stopped in front of a trapdoor leading into a bunker.  
“Wait here.”  
Alex and the others walked down, fetching the people they spoke of.  
Meanwhile, Tord put everyone on guard. “If they come out with undesirables, run. I saw a bombing bunker a block down, head for that. I'll divert them and meet up with you.”  
“Why did you even follow them in the first place?” Tom questioned.  
Tord hesitated. “Hope? I guess? Or curiosity. Honestly I just want to be in the know.”  
Tom invisibly rolled his eyes. “Okay whatever. I'm okay with possibly dying as long as it satisfies your curiosity.”  
“We're at a constant state of possibly dying. If this is what I think it is-”  
The trapdoor reopened, and Tord whipped around.  
Two men crawled out, faces bright. “Red Leader! We thought you were dead!”  
Tord's face morphed into a face of disbelief. “Paul? Patryck? I thought you two died in the explosion!”  
“So did we! But we got out, with one casualty,” Patryck said, motioning at Paul's bandaged eye. Paul smiled ruefully. “It's okay. I had two of them.”  
Tord laughed and hugged the both of them. “It's so good to see you!”  
Edd and the others stood by awkwardly. “So, um… who are these?”  
“Ah! Yes, you wouldn't know them. Well, you know I'm on the run for being the leader of a rebellion. These are my seconds in command! The attack that broke up my army and sent me running was a bombing by the Nazis. They've been looking for the three of us ever since. Okay, but who are these people trying to corner my friends and I?”  
“A sort of rebellion against the Nazis. It's more of a ‘shuffle people away secretly’ meet though. Still, with you in charge, we could build them into a full blown army!”  
Paul gestured to Tord's bandaged face and arm. “Speaking of blown, you clearly didn't get out of that unscathed either.”  
Tord shrugged. “Small muscle damage. The arm doesn't work like it used to. But still, I have both eyes at least.”  
Paul laughed.  
“Indeed you do. Come in come in! These people can't wait to meet the one we keep bragging about.”  
Tord gestures to his friends. “If they say it's safe it's safe.”  
They cautiously walk down into the bunker, and the crowd inside suddenly quiets and turns toward them.  
It was a group of maybe a hundred people, all holding some sort of improvised weapon. The room looked like an old but big bar, a couple broken pool tables shoved aside.  
Tord turned to Paul. “This is the group I have to work with?”  
Paul shrugged. “It's better than your ragtag group.”  
Tord rolled his eyes. “Fine. Hello everyone, apparently you've heard of me. What you should probably learn early on if you want me to lead you is that I am a man of strict discipline. It's the only way my army survived that long. If you're ready for that kind of training say ‘aye’.”  
There was silence. Then slowly a chorus of ‘aye’ spread throughout the room, until it was being shouted at him. Tord ‘tsk’d. “You guys need to learn some organization. Either you're in or you're not. Alright, everyone that's had some sort of military or fighting training before, move over to the bar. Everyone else, left side of the room.”  
He leaned over to Paul. “You two take care of the trained ones. I'll handle the newbies.”  
Edd and Matt glanced at Tord, who gestured for them to join the newbies, while Tom stayed by Tord.  
“With all due respect, sir.” Paul said. “Won't you kill the newbies?”  
“I'll just give them initiation training.”  
He grinned. “This is my favorite part of any army building. But first, Pat, show me around. Paul you go start.”  
Paul nods and walks off, and soon that side of the room was learning the certain marching pattern and salute. Tord gestured to his group. “Join them until I get back.”  
They headed down a tunnel in the back of the bar, Tom training along. “Tord, I don't… is this a good idea? I don't want to fight. I just want to get out of the country before we all die.”  
Tord waved a hand. “I don't plan on fighting. I'm training them in defense, should someone find them. What I want to train them to do is find the people sentenced unfairly and scurry them away.”  
His eyes widen as they leave the tunnel to reach… a bigger tunnel. Recognizable anywhere.  
“It's an underground railway?!?”  
Patryck grinned. “Yep. It was built for international travel, then closed due to some malfunction in the train. They never got another one, and it's been all but forgotten about. Reached all the way to England, I think. Only problem is it reaches all the way to Germany, too. We don't know if they know about it or not.”  
Tord frowned. “Hmm. This is too useful to give up. We'll just have to send a patrol with whoever we send off every time.”  
Tord thought for a moment. “Okay. If we're going to help anyone, we need to become well known. But not to the wrong people.”  
Patryck nodded. “We jacked a list of targets from a Nazi that came too close to our hideout, it has pictures and names and addresses and everything.”  
“Scary. But good. Send a message to the wanted. Don't be too specific, just tell them that if they accept there is hope for them, or something like that I don't care. I'm going to train my group.”  
He turned away toward Tom. And narrowed his eyes. “Pat, leave us for a minute would you? Go ahead and start initiation for my group.”  
Patryck salutes him and walks off.  
Tord turns to Tom, walking closer and wrapping an arm around his waist.  
“Tom.”  
“Tord.”  
Tord rolled his eyes, pulling Tom against him.  
“I'll get you out of here, I promise.”  
“I wish Edd hadn't brought us here in the first place.”  
They'd come to Poland for vacation, before all of it started, and had been stuck in the country when the war began. Edd and Matt pretended to be citizens, while Tom and Tord were forced to hide.  
Tord smirked. “Your face is practically begging to be kissed.”  
Tom blushed. “Shut up. Get off, why if someone comes? Criminals and ex-Jewish they may accept, but this is something different entirely.”  
Tord rolled his eyes and brushed a finger down his cheek. “Stop worrying. This is my little rebellion now. They won't care, even if they did see.”  
He kissed Tom, slowly, then backed away. “Still, better to be careful. Come on, let's get back.”  
He explained the plan to Tom to leave as they walked back, but Tom grabbed his arm and spun him around. “What about you?”  
Tord looked away. “Uhh, Paul, Pat and I will escort you-”  
“And you'll come back?! No! You have to come with us, you can't split us up again!”  
Tord looked regretful. “Tom! I have to stay here, now that I'm leading everyone.”  
“You're more important to us then you could ever be to them!”  
Tord looked at him for a long moment, then sighed. “No, Tom.”  
He pulled his arm away. “I have a duty here now.”  
And he got to work on his group of soldiers, Tom watching sullenly from the sidelines.  
The next morning they were packed and ready to go. The “army” was in pretty good shape, better than they'd looked at first.  
Paul and Patryck had set up their first refugee “customers”, and they, along with Tord, were going with Edd, Matt, and Tom for escort out of the country. All was packed, with food supplies for a month and a weapon each.  
Tom was looking marginally happier today, as though looking on the bright side. He wouldn't have to worry about being caught once they got out.  
Tord was glad to see he wasn't too angry.  
It took them three weeks, and they almost got caught four times, with narrow escapes. But eventually they reached England.  
And Tom, who had been back to normal for the trip, now looked…  
Smug.  
He hugged Paul and Patryck, having gotten to know them well over the trip. He would miss them. Edd and Matt said their goodbyes as well.  
Then they got to Tord. Tom looked over at Paul. “This is perfectly okay with you?”  
They shrugged and grinned.  
Tord looked confused. “What-”  
Edd, Matt, and Tom all pounced on him, bundling him up in ropes. He was gagged as well.  
And he looked really angry now.  
“Thanks for letting us kidnap your Leader! We hope to see you two later on. Message us!”  
Edd, Matt, and Tom waved at Paul and Patryck, who waved back, looking a little sad but also content.  
They eventually found an affordable apartment for them to live in, and ungagged Tord, who was livid. He shouted at them about how he had responsibilities and they couldn't just drag him away, but everyone laughed or ignored him. Until he finally calmed down, and admitted (to Tom) that he was thinking about coming with them anyway.  
Then they finally untied him. Whereas Tord was still kinda a refugee (he led an army against Norway and got kicked out of the country) he wasn't well known, but he still had to stay away from authorities.  
It wasn't until many years later he was caught, but it's okay he led the prison on revolution and broke out, made another red army, and eventually ruled the world. Long after World War Two was over.  
And they lived somewhat happily ever a- well, for a bit.  
Oh well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like the ending lol  
> Also that you don't mind the time skips too much  
> It was fun to write tho


	4. Black Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING  
> MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH  
> LOTS OF FEELS AND ANGST  
> it's about the black death and wasn't another way to do it.

Tord walked into their tiny and dingy apartment, carrying two buckets full of water.  
He sets them on the floor, then coughed. “Hey guys. I brought water.”  
Edd leaned in from the kitchen. “Oh! Perfect, put it in here. I'll use it to boil potatoes.”  
Tord nodded and did so, then glanced up at him. “I drank some before I came and had to refill, that's what took so long. Waiting through a water line twice.”  
“Yeah yeah. Stayed away from people, right?”  
“As much as I could, mom.”  
Edd rolled his eyes, and turned to Matt, next to him.  
“Matt, you done peeling?”  
“No, sorry, this knife is too shiny.”  
“Ugh. Tord, can you get Tom? I need him to start the fire.”  
Tord nodded and walked off, feeling weak. Probably because he hadn't eaten enough. He knocked on the only bedroom door, but there was no answer.  
There were only three rooms, the living room, the kitchen, and the bedroom. They were lucky though, with how many people they had to stuff in here. With almost half their money spent on food, they were a few pennies away from getting kicked out onto the streets.  
Only Matt and Tom had jobs, but it didn't pay much. Tom was an unofficial comedian (The only thing Tord thought was hilarious was that he actually got an audience) and Matt was working for some farmer outside of the cramped city.  
At least he got some relief. He didn't have to stay in the plague riddled city living in fear of getting infected 24/7.  
Although he did have to come back to it every night.  
There had recently been a rumor that the Black Death had spread closer to their apartment, and Tord had even seen a red cross on the door of the nearby apartment complex.  
Tord sighed, then coughed again. His throat felt itchy. It was pretty dustyback where he got the water, with at least three rats roaming the place, bugs all over the ground. Tord had to check his water for bugs before he left. Not to mention the people there.  
Course, dirty means something else. But he didn't feel bad, so he wasn't too worried.  
“Tom! Edd needs you.”  
Pause.  
“Tom I know you're in there.”  
Tom opened the door with a sigh. “I was hoping you'd forget I was home. Fine, I'll go help Edd. But I will be pissed if smoke gets in this stinking apartment again.”  
He started to walk away, then stopped as he heard Tord coughing behind him.  
He turned around quickly, giving him a once over.  
“Tord.”  
“I'm fine.” He waved Tom away. “It was dusty back there. I'm fine.”  
Tom walked closer and glared at him. “Give me your hands.”  
Tord hesitated, then placed his hands in Tom's.  
He looked carefully at them, then checked Tord's temperature.  
“You're feeling a bit cool. Lay down. If you feel worse tell me, and I'll check again.”  
Tord rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to retort.  
Tom snapped at him, cutting him off.  
“Tord! This is serious, this could kill us. Tell me. And for now, confine yourself to the bedroom.”  
Tord frowned but nodded, then pulled his hands away and walked off.  
Tom didn't touch his face until he had prepared a fire and gotten the water boiling, and used a small cup to wash his hands as best he could.  
Other than that, there wasn't much he could do. He told Matt and Edd to stay out of the bedroom, just in case.  
He was really nervous. He didn't want anyone to see it though.  
“I'm going to check on him.”  
Edd glanced up, nervously tapping the desk. “Should we leave? Just…”  
“We can't leave him in the dust. If you want to get out of the apartment while I check then go… to the market, or something. I'll come out and let you know.”  
“Tom, what if you…”  
“I'll be careful. And if he has it and I catch it, then at least I can be there for him.”  
“Wow you reeeeaaally care about him.”  
Tom stuck his tongue out. “We aren't about to start snogging Edd. Shut up.”  
Edd didn't know they'd been snogging for a while. But he didn't need to know.  
“Now leave if you're going to.”  
“We'll be outside.”  
Tom nodded and stood up, swallowing as they walked out.  
Then he sighed and went to Tord's room- technically all of their room, but taken over for now.  
He carefully opened it, to see Tord asleep, pale and sweating.  
Bad signs.  
He walked in and shook him awake. “Tord.”  
Tord woke up with a gasp, then pressed his face against the pillow, groaning.  
“Tom leave.”  
“No, I have to make sure.”  
Tord glared at him, then coughed into his pillow, where there were already bloodstains.  
Tom stepped back, pale. “Okay. Okay, I…”  
He was shaking. “I… no.”  
Tord glared at him, then sat up and waved a pillow at him. “Get out! Get out get out get out!”  
Tom narrowed his eyes. “I… I need to be really sure. I…”  
Tord groans and clutches his stomach. “Tom you're going to get it… get sick…” he breathes heavily and collapses back down, clutching his stomach. “Tom I can't- I-”  
Tom swallowed. As he watched Tord throw up, he just stood there, not walking away.  
Tord's eyelids drooped, and he laid back down.  
He rolled the other way, groaning. “Just leave. I can't make you sick. Please.”  
“No.”  
Tom walked forward and knelt next to Tord, feeling his forehead. Then he leaned forward and kissed him.  
Tord weakly pushed at him until Tom pulled away, sadness in his eyes.  
“I can't… survive without you.”  
Tord glared at him, chest heaving. Then he broke down into a coughing fit, and Tom patted his back, until Tord stopped and swatted his arm away.  
He croaked, “It hurts. It hurts so bad, I don't want this for you, why Tom?”  
Tom was quiet, head down. “Because someone needs to be here for you. I'm not abandoning you while you…” he paused. “Edd and Matt are leaving, so I'll be here to take care of you, no matter the cost.”  
He stood and walked to the front door. “Edd? Matt? Leave. This place is infected.”  
Edd called back through the door. “Tom? What's going on? Is he sick?”  
“Yes.”  
“What about you?”  
Tom stopped. “I… I think I am too. Just go, I'll stay here with him.”  
Edd took a step back, turning to stare at Matt.  
Just like that, he'd lost two friends.  
He walked away, Matt following, to tell the owner of the apartments the news.  
Tom was asleep when Tord died.  
And Tom never got sick afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short hiatus I've been really busy and all my digital art was deleted. My phone glitched or something.  
> I'm not continuing this chapter.


	5. Johnstown Flood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I looked this stuff up and used what I could. I don't think I'll make a part 2 but if I do it'll be short.  
> Enjoy!  
> (School starting tomorrow yaaaaaayyyyy)

The place was Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and the time was May 31st, 1889.

“Tom's still not back” Tord looked out the window into the pouring rain. “Do you think he drowned?”  
Edd glanced up, then outside. “Nah. He'll be back soon. It's only gone up a little bit.”  
Tord looked concerned but didn't press it.  
They set up dinner, then Edd read the newspaper as they waited for Tom.  
Matt began tossing dishes in the sink, then sat. “Well, I'm not going to wait all day for him. Let's eat, shall we?”  
He begins to dig in and Tord rolls his eyes, staring out the window. He lifted his head up. “Guys? It's starting to flood.”  
Edd came over to join him. “Eh. It's only a few inches. He- oh, there he is.”  
They were fortunate enough to own a stall, though they only had one horse. They saw Tom galloping back, holding his hat to his head in one hand and the reins with the other.  
“See? He's fine. Go out and help him out the horse up.”  
Tord opened the door to help, but Tom jumped off his horse and pushed at him, looking panicked. “Guys! We have to leave, now! Run to higher ground!! Hurry!”  
He dragged Tord after him then ran out the door again, slapping the horse to make it take off. Tord glared at him. “Tom, wait! What's-”  
“No time! Are Edd and Matt coming?”   
Tord looked back at the house. “Yeah, they're right… holy mother of god.”  
In the distance, though closer than comfortable, was what looked like a giant land mass rolling towards them, over the entire city. Looking closer, Tord could tell it was a debris filled flood. Tom shouted st him to hurry and Tord turned back, racing toward the top of the hill and quickly leaving Tom behind.  
Tom turned back and saw Edd and Matt catching up. They weren't the only thing catching up, the wave was coming closer. Much closer. Tom realized they weren't going to make it out of the way, but maybe they could get to the top of the wave so they'd float and-  
Tom stopped, then turned and stopped Tord.  
“Look, I don't know if we'll make it out of this, so-” he pulled Tord forward and pressed their lips together, then released him. “Take a deep breath, and try to grab on to something wooden.” He whipped around to face the wave and took a deep breath-  
The wave crashed over them and they spun into chaos.  
Tom couldn't tell which way was up or down, left or right, and realized he'd had the breath knocked out of him.  
He threw his arms out to grab something, but things kept slamming into him instead, his side, his leg, his hand.  
Suddenly something slammed into his chest and he wrapped his arms around it, feeling his sight start to dim.  
And suddenly he could breathe.  
He gasped then rolled underwater again, then up into the air, over and over. It seemed like half an hour that he was thrown around like garbage, constantly slamming into things and accidentally breathing dirty water.  
Then his side slammed into ground, not a log or anything, and he rolled out of the water, gasping and coughing up water.  
He wiped his eyes and looked around.  
The flood had carried him into countryside somewhere, and he was high up on a hill amongst a flood of water. He exhaustedly crawled up, and laid at the top of the hill.  
He'd just… take a little nap.  
He was woken up later, at night time. Someone was shaking him, checking his pulse.  
He sighed, then pushed himself up to sitting. He was… so sore. Around him was a family, checking to make sure he was okay. He nodded, not hearing anything they said.  
He shook his head, feeling his ears full of water.  
He also noticed that the back of his arms and neck were sunburned. Dangit.  
The man put a hand on his shoulder, and Tom looked up at him.   
“You okay, son? You want to stay with us tonight? We live on the top of that hill over there, the ground may be a bit wet and everything's all over the place, but it's intact.”  
Tom wraps his arms around his knees and says nothing.  
The man kneels down. “What happened to your eyes? Do you need bandages or something?”  
Tom shook his head, then croaked, “They've always been like that.”  
He coughed, then rested his hes on his knees.  
The water was still now, just a slight flow. The debris was mostly gone from the top of the water, chunks of wood or hay or wire.  
Tom stared at it. Where were his friends? Where could they be? Could they even be alive?  
He was lucky he found ground. He was lucky he floated to the top in the first place.  
Everything hurt like hell. He glanced up at the man. “I can stay with you? Is anyone else…”  
A boy just outside his view walked up to the man, and he put his arm around him. “Hi son. This is my son, Chris. May I ask again what your name is?”  
Tom hesitated. “Uh. Tom.”  
He stood. “I'll come. I… need to get back home when I can. I need to see if my friends…”  
He closed his eyes, then followed the man to his house.  
He stopped. “... Matt?!?”  
Matt was sitting, holding a beat up mirror with no glass about the size of his head.  
He looked up at Tom. Then stood. “What a coincidence! We came to the same spot.”  
Tom narrowed his eyes. “Yeah. Yay, you're alive. I guess. Is anyone else here?”  
“Ye- no.” Matt hesitated. Then shrugged. “Maybe?”  
The man sighed, then motioned Tom to follow him.  
Tom hesitated. This was a stranger, after all. Then he shook it off and followed him.  
“I'm afraid you're going to have to share the room with your friend. I'll make up the bed soon, sorry it's a bit wet.  
Tom shook his head, then sat on the mattress. “I've been so soaked this is nothing. As long as I'm not drowning I'm fine.”  
Matt walked in, and the man left. Matt sighed. “While you were asleep I looked for the others at the other hills. Bit of a swim, but…”  
He hesitated. “I didn't find either of them. At least… not all of them.”  
He pointed at the corner of the room, where Tom saw Tord's robotic hand. He winced. “Please don't tell me-”  
“That's all I saw.”  
Tom sighed and stood, walking outside and sitting on the hill. He placed his head on his knees. “Will I ever find them?”


	6. Great Depression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three things, one of them important.
> 
> IMPORTANT: Someone voiced their concern about how some of my work may be seen as insensitive or offensive. I want people to know that I'm not trying to pervert history. I am simply writing for my own and others’s entertainment. I title the chapters based off the event in history that I wrote about in that chapter, so if you feel a certain event in history may offend you or upset you to think about, please skip the chapter. Thank you!
> 
> Second: Sorry I've been gone a while, I was working on my other works, and now I'm coming back to this one again. Thanks for bearing with me!
> 
> Oversharing about my life time: My dad was snooping through my phone and found my texts with one of my friends, the only conversation I would've cared about him seeing, telling her I'm bi.  
> He said he wouldn't confront me about it or something since I can't trust him with my sexuality but guys I'm still terrified about what he might do about it.  
> I didn't want to come out.  
> Now is the worst time for him to figure this out because my evil stepmom has just divorced him and he's going through tough times then THIS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING
> 
> Enjoy the chapter ANGST AND CHARACTER DEATH  
> AND ITS NOT A PRETTY DEATH  
> LOTS OF BLOOD  
> YEAH

The time was the Great Depression, and the place was somewhere in the middle of nowhere.  
Tom walked outside to check the horizon.  
And sighed.  
Another season, another wipeout. Every time they actually got a mildly successful crop it was taken down by another sandstorm.  
They didn't have enough money to travel someplace else, and yet they barely survived with the three of them. It was far in the horizon, coming closer quickly, but Tom was determined it was enough time to at least attempt to save the food.  
He called to Edd and Matt and shouted the situation, then unfolded the tarp they used for their sort of small farm.  
Definitely bigger than a garden, but not by much.  
Edd and Matt helped secure it, then they ran inside, the wind already blowing.  
They secured themselves inside and covered the windows quickly, then covered the drain in the sink and their buckets of drinkable water.  
They heard the sand hit the house and stared in the direction it was coming from. Tom dragged a hand down his face. “How did we get in this mess?”  
He said that every time, and his questions didn't require much of answer.   
After World War One, economy crashed.  
They were all kicked out of their jobs and couldn't afford to live in the city anymore.  
Except Tord, who worked in the black market. Thats all they knew, they didn't know what he dealt in or if he even actually worked for the black market, but they suspected illegal weaponry.  
Then he'd moved away, and now they're stuck in this hovel of a desert trying to live off dusty crop.  
Tom watched the windows as sand and dust blew in through the edges of the curtains, not able to hold everything back.  
He went and got a cloth, dipping it in the water before wrapping it around his mouth and nose.  
Edd and Matt watched him, their mouths and noses covered as well, as he grabbed a broom and started to sweep the massive amount of dust that blew in to the window.  
“Why, Tom? It’s useless.”   
Tom didn’t answer. Edd sighed and dropped it. He and Matt moved under the windows, out of the sands way.  
Tom continued to sweep, but the dust just piled up.  
Then they all shouted in surprise as a curtain flew off one of the windows, and Tom quickly grabbed it and pressed it against the window, coughing as sand got under his rags and in his eyes.  
He and Edd pinned down three of the corners when Tom saw something outside, a silhouette of someone standing braced against the wind.  
“Edd! There’s someone out there!”  
Edd tried to pin the fourth corner but Tom grabbed his hand. “Edd!”  
“Leave him! If you go out to get him you’ll be buried!”   
Tom reached a hand through the window and waved.  
Miraculously he grabbed the figures attention, and Tom waved for him to come to the house.  
He held his hands over his eyes and tried to get the sand out, then watched the figure stumble toward them.  
He watched as the figure fell in the sand and didn’t get up again. Tom sighed.  
“I think he’s dead… pin the curtain. I’ll be back.”  
“Tom no! You’ll die, wait till after the storm and we can help him or bury him, whatever.”  
Tom sighed, then coughed, then helped Edd close the window again.  
The three of them went to the water bucket and washed their eyes, then Tom tied a cloth over his eyes.  
“I’m sick of this. I’m going to try to sleep.”  
Edd sighed. “If you must.”  
They had an uneasy night, though Tom was able to sleep through the whole thing.  
He woke in the morning when Edd and Matt were still sleeping, and noticed the wind was gone.  
He took the cloth off his eyes and peeked outside.  
It was sunny, and sand covered everything. Tom could barely see the corner of the tarp.  
But all the sand had settled, so he took off his mask and walked outside.  
He lifted up the corner of the tarp, but all of the crops were crushed by the weight of the sand.  
Tom dropped it, hopes sinking.  
He noticed a lump in the sand, then remembered the man he'd seen outside.  
He ran over to it, noticing a hand sticking out.  
He used his hands to push the sand off the man, slowly unburying him.  
He rolled him over, then gasped.  
The horned hair and half lidded grey eyes were recognizable anywhere.  
Tord.  
Wet sand was coming out of the side of his mouth, and he looked almost dead.  
But Tom noticed his chest riding and falling, just barely, and felt his pulse.  
He picked him up and carried him inside.  
Edd and Matt were still asleep, so Tom didn't disturb them, yet.   
He undid Tord's jacket and turned him sideways, pushing on his chest.  
Suddenly Tord coughed, then hacked, and started vomiting up sand.   
Tom patted his back until Tord stopped coughing and was just curled up on the ground, hugging himself.  
His breaths rattled, and Tom brought a wet rag over and cleaned his face.  
The rag had streaks of blood on it, and when Tom looked back at Tord he could see why.  
There was blood trickling from the side of his mouth, and his eyes, once cleaned of sand, were scratched and slightly red.  
Tord looked around.  
“Where am I?”  
Tom stayed quiet. He slowly pushed Tord back down.  
Tord sighed, a rattling breath. “Please say something.” He said hoarsely. “I can't see anything. I don't know who you are.”  
Tom winced. “You can't see anything?”  
“Tom?”  
“Yeah.”  
“What the heck did I just say? No, I can't-”  
He coughed, hacking up sand and… something else. And blood.  
“Oh god my chest hurts.” Tord clutched his throats with one hand.   
Tom's eyes widened and he went and soaked a rag, then ordered Tord to open his mouth and squeezed the water out.  
Tord swallowed, then coughed again.  
“Why did you come back-”  
“Because I just learned that you guys were kicked out of the city, I was going to come help you with things financially and strategically-”  
“Okay, cool, but why'd you come back in the middle of a dust storm?”  
Tord hesitated, then shivered.  
“I didn't-” he coughs. “I didn't know.”  
His breaths get worse, and blood starts to stream down his cheek.  
“I don't… care.”  
Tord sighed. “I wish I could've seen you again.”  
Tom was oddly touched by his enemy saying that.   
“Yeah. Sorry.”  
He suddenly realized his own face was wet, and he touched his cheek. Was he crying? Why was he crying?  
He started shaking, trying to hold in sobs.  
Why did he care so much?  
“You're going to live Tord. And we can get a doctor, heal your eyes, you will see again. You will…”  
Tord curled up, groaning and coughing. “I-” He coughs. “There's something in my lungs, it's- I can't breathe- Tom, I came- to- to…”  
He turns and vomits up blood. Then gasps. “Tom I came to give you guys money. Please, take the paper in my pocket, I'm dying you have to do this please it's what I came for!”  
Tord collapsed, clutching his stomach. “Please Tom.”  
Edd suddenly joined Tom. “Tord?”  
“Edd?”  
“What are you doing- oh god.”  
Tord started twitching, hugging himself.  
Tom wiped his eyes, then clenched his teeth against a sob.  
He didn't care he didn't care he didn't care he COULDNT care-  
“You can't die Tord.” He found himself saying, and Edd was hugging him, because through his blurry tears he hadn't realized that Tord was already still, staring off into space.  
“You can't die. You just got back, you can't die.”  
Edd pressed his face against Tom's shoulder, shaking. “He's dead Tom.”  
“He can't die.” Tom was dazed. “He just got back, he can't die, I didn't even get to tell him I cared about him, he thinks I hated him.”  
He lifted his hands to cover his face and suddenly realized he had been holding Tord's hand.  
Edd shook his head. “I think he knew, Tom. He knew.”  
Matt ran over to them. “Guys! The storm stopped-”  
He paused. “Is this a bad time?”


	7. 9/11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DO NOT READ IF THIS WILL TRIGGER YOU SOMEHOW.  
> It's 9/11 so I did a sort of memorial chapter? It's kinda long.   
> I did this one about the plane 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania because those people are the bravest people I know.  
> WARNING ITS NOT ENTIRELY ACCURATE I GUESSED ON MOST OF IT. ALSO I DONT KNOW HOW PLANES WORK.

“In case of an emergency, please place the oxygen masks strap securely over your head and pull this string.”  
Tord sighs and leans against the window, muttering. “Everyone knows how to put on an oxygen mask.”  
“Do me a favor, Tord, and shut up.”  
Tord glared sideways at Tom, who was sitting next to him. Tom was hugging himself, looking sick. “You okay, Jehovah’s witness?”  
“Don’t call me that.”  
“You scared of flying?”  
Tom shivered. “Shut up please. Please. Just leave me alone until we get there.”  
Tord smirked. “Alright.” He continued gazing out the window as the flight crew finished the procedures and made their way to their seats. The plane started moving, getting onto the runway and speeding up as it took off. Tom started to hyperventilate.  
“Tom, don’t you dare throw up on me. Turn your head to the right, I don’t care about that person.”  
‘That person’ threw a glare at Tord and moved an inch away. Tom and Tord had gotten different seats from Edd and Matt, who were closer to the front.   
It was boring for a bit. Tord watched as they got higher and higher, smiling. They’d had a layover in New Jersey to go to San Francisco, and their plane was a bit late but not too bad.  
Still, Tord couldn’t wait to get there. Who knew how long Tom would last.  
Suddenly the plane jerked, and Tord accidentally bit his tongue. He winced, his eyes watering, and glanced up at the seatbelt sign.  
It was off? Don’t they turn that on for turbulence? He heard a commotion from the front of the plane, and a couple people ran down the aisles.  
Tord glanced quickly at Tom, who was looking a bit pale. “Hey Tom, let me out will you?”  
Tom shivered and kept clutching his stomach, not answering. Tord sighed and climbed over him, and the ‘That person’, and started to walk to the front. He had to move to the side to let some people by, then was thrown into a random person’s lap when the plane jerked then started to turn.  
Tord looked at several different seatbelt signs. Still off. “The hell?”  
He saw Matt coming back and grabbed his arm. “Matt? What’s going on?”  
Matt was a bit white. “Th- people attacked the pilots, took over the plane.”  
Tord’s eyes widened. Well then. “Do they know how to fly?”  
“I-I don’t know, they were shouting something but I couldn’t hear.”  
Tord let him go, then saw Edd coming up the aisle. “Come on Tord, they have knives. We should get away.”  
Tord raised an eyebrow. “You sound bored.”  
“This is my ‘I’m terrified for my life’ voice. I’m serious, come on.” Edd grabbed his arm and dragged him back.  
They stumbled as the plane turned more sideways, and people let out shouts of fear.  
Everyone was pretty much gathered in the back of the plane, and some of them were trying to say something but couldn’t be heard over people freaking out.  
Tom was in the back corner next to the restrooms, hugging his legs, eyes white and face pale.  
Tord spared him a glance then shouted and waved, until everyone was watching him.  
“Everyone, we need to be calm! I know it seems bad but-”  
“Sir, did you hear what happened to the other ones? They’re going to crash the plane!!”  
An outburst of fearful shouting until Tord’s “Shut up!” could be heard and everyone went quiet again. “What are you talking about?”  
The lady stammered for a moment, then a man shouted over the crowd. “Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers and exploded! They were hijacked!”  
Tord stared at him for a moment, then looked around. “Someone look at our trajectory!”  
“It doesn’t matter! We’re going to crash somewhere, lot’s of people are going to die, WE’RE going to die!” Someone shouted.  
People started talking again, but quieted down when Tord spoke up. “Not if I have anything to say about it!”  
Everyone was properly silent now, a short commotion when the plane turned again.  
Tord got up from falling against a seat and stared behind him worriedly.  
He turned back around. “Look, guys, I know we’re scared. And yes, at this point, we may crash and die. But right now we have to do anything we can to stop it. We have to claim the cockpit back, does anyone here know how to fly?”  
Everyone looked around, but there were no raised hands.  
“We’re headed toward the east coast.” Someone commented. “We’re over Pennsylvania now.”  
“Toward what?”  
The man was quiet for a moment. Then; “Washington, D.C.”  
Gasps of shock.  
“Okay.” Tord hesitated. “Okay I’m just going to get to the point. We have to stop whoever is flying this plane. I need volunteers, they have weapons and I believe most of us don’t.”  
“I have my lighter.” Said a man. Tord shook his head. “No, we can’t set the plane alight. Come on, anyone, get something we can use and come with me.”  
He turned to walk toward the front but someone grabbed his hand.  
It was Tom, pale and shaking. “Tord, please, don’t. Please.”  
Tord stared at him a moment, then smiled. “Listen, Tom.” He knelt down and grabbed Tom's hands. “If I don’t do this then more people could die. Lot’s of people. I think it’s safe to assume that we’re slated anyway. So Tom, I have to.”  
Tom gritted his teeth, tears welling up. “I’ll come, I won’t let you die yet.”  
Tord tilted his head. “But… when did you start caring about me?”  
Tom shook his head and grabbed a paper bag from one of the seats. “Let’s just go.”  
Tord nodded and Tom grabbed the back of his shirt as they marched up to the front, a couple people following.  
Edd and Matt watched them, and Edd shouted after. “Go kick butt, Tord!”  
Tord looked behind him to see who was following then ran to the front.  
“Hey!” He shouted, but the hijackers were already watching him.  
“Get back. We have control of this plane now, we will crash it if you don’t leave us to do our- I said get BACK!”  
Tord and the others rushed at him, knocking him down and trying to keep him out of the way while they got to the cockpit.  
The second one proved harder to get, and once the first got back up it was more difficult.  
Tord got behind the first and grabbed his arms, watching his legs for a second before kicking the one that supported his weight so he fell.  
The second one tried to push him away, and may have gotten him, if the hijackers in the cockpit hadn’t heard them and rolled the plane sideways, then turned the other way.  
The passengers were scattered but quickly grouped together as the plane kept moving, first side to side then up and down.  
They finally knocked out the first guy and shoved the second aside, then they had to figure out how to get into the cockpit.  
Tord looked around, then someone brought the food cart, everything on it already spilled or knocked off.  
Three of the passengers grabbed that and backed up a bit, then rushed forward and slammed against the door.  
There were shouts from inside as they backed up and ran forward again, and the door slammed open.  
Tord leapt over the cart and shoved it out, then deflected a blow from the copilot. Two other passengers came into the cockpit, one lingering at the door, and they began the struggle with the copilot first.  
The pilot was pulling then pushing at the wheel, making the airplane rise then descend. Tord left the copilot to the others and grabbed the pilot and dumped him out of the seat.  
The plane righted itself while Tord tussled with the hijacker on the floor.  
“Grab the wheel!” He heard someone yell, so he lurched up to grab the wheel, but the hijacker grabbed him and pulled him away.  
Except Tord didn’t let go, and the plane was banking hard to the right. Alarms were blaring, telling him to loosen up, but he was stuck.  
And the plane turned upside down and started to descend.  
“No!!” The hijacker yelled.  
Tord stared out the window. It was a cloudless day, but he was too high up to see what was below them.  
Then he noticed Tom struggling to his feet near the door of the cockpit, and that he seemed the calmest out of all of them. He was still pale, but his eyes were narrowed and he watched the fight, until the other two hijackers were immobilized.  
Tord grabbed the wheel but one of the other passengers stopped him.  
“If you turn it over now it will spin out of control.”  
Tord stared at her. “But we will crash if we don’t.”  
She hesitated, then nodded and backed away. Tord turned the wheel slightly, and the plane slowly started to turn again.  
It was sideways then upright, then as Tord lost his balance to the turning plane it banked hard to the left and spun over again.  
Tord cursed loudly, and the plane was slowly spinning, making everyone tumble.  
Tord looked out the window and saw the ground was a lot closer than he would have guessed, fields and farms rushing by as they got closer and closer.  
Tom came forward and grabbed the wheel, and the plane stopped spinning at a diagonally angled position.  
“We’re going to crash.” He said monotonously. “But at least it’s not in the city.”  
Tord stared wide eyed out the window.  
Seconds before impact, he threw his arms around Tom.  
There was no time to say anything before they hit.  
Tord woke what could have been minutes or hours later, gasping the fire and smoke filled air.  
He looked down.  
He had been impaled through his sternum on the wheel, somehow. Everything was on fire, though Tord felt cold, deathly cold.  
Tom was sprawled across the pilots chair, both barely recognizable.  
Tord gasped, then took in short breaths as he watched the blood drain out of his wound.  
He let the darkness take him.


	8. A/N

Hey! I'm going to say the same thing I said in my other fic.  
I know I've had a request for Yellow Fever, which I am currently working on. If there are any requests I haven't done yet, please let me know in the comments! Or, if anyone has any new requests.   
Also, I suppose, I can do crossovers in this fic, however that goes.  
Thanks!


	9. Yellow Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.instagram.com/bluetigerdraco/  
> My Instagram with all my fanart :3  
> IM SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG I PROMISE IM WRITING THE OTHER REQUESTS  
> I JUST HAD A PROBLEM CONTINUING THIS AND SO I FOCUSED ON MY ONESHOTS  
> IM SO PROUD OF THIS CHAPTER THO I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT
> 
> I did almost no research for this it may be inaccurate. Sorryyyyy

Yellow fever

They'd finally gotten to Philadelphia, and the place was overrun with disease.  
Tom lagged behind, staring at posters at Matt and Edd happily skipped to their destination, the house they had bargained long and hard for.  
“Hey guys?”  
Edd and Matt didn’t hear him, so he quickly caught up. “Guys, I don’t think this is a good idea.”  
“Really, Tom?! You agreed with us before, why the sudden change of mind?”  
In answer, Tom pointed at the posters.  
There were two different posters, and both were bad news. The first was a report that they still haven’t found a cure for something called “Yellow Fever”.  
The second was a wanted poster for a red coated vigilante by the name of “Red Leader”.  
Edd looked at it for a while, then shrugged. “It shouldn’t affect us too much. We’re in the suburbs.”  
Tom groaned. “Isn’t that the worst place to be? Aren’t the suburbs where everything happens?”  
Edd shrugged, then ran straight into someone.  
“Oh, apologies, pardon m...e…”  
The figure, wearing a black trenchcoat, narrowed his grey eyes at Edd. He said nothing, then turned away, putting a fedora on his oddly horn shaped hair. Edd noticed something drop on the ground, and walked forward to pick it up.  
A cigar.  
“Sir! You dropped…”  
The black coated figure was nowhere to be seen.  
Edd looked around, then put the cigar in his pocket. He'd give it to him later, if he ever saw him again.  
“Okay that was creepy but-”  
“Tom! Stop being so rude. Maybe he's just cold, or he doesn't like talking to strangers.”  
“Ooooor he's a red coated vigilante-”  
“No, if he were he wouldn't have been able to resist my startling good looks.” Matt posed for them, and Tom rolled his eyes, though no one could tell.  
“Whatever Matt. I just don't think it's a good idea to-”  
They're cut off by a wail from a nearby household.  
They waited a moment, but when nothing happened they moved on.  
Edd stood proudly on the doorstep of the new house. “Guys we moved to America! And didn't die!”  
Tom just frowned, tapping his foot, and followed him in.  
Matt suddenly slapped the back of his neck. “Oh ew this place has bugs. Bugs bugs bugs bugs eww gross.”  
“Shut up Matt.” Tom said, kicking at dust. “This place isn't as cleared out as it should be.”  
“Oh well, that just means we're gonna have something to do.” Edd grinned, then noticed a wagon coming. “Oh look! There's our stuff now-”  
He stopped, horrified.  
The wagon wasn't carrying luggage. It was carrying people.  
A pile of dead bodies, to be exact. It went by their house, and stopped a few houses down, where a man got off the wagon and helped carry another body onto the pile, then drove off again.  
Edd didn't realize he was shaking until Tom's voice about made him jump ten feet into the air.  
“I am officially opposed to living here. This place is unlivable. No wonder we got the house.”  
Edd shook his head. “No, let's just… clean up.”  
“I bet the last people here died.”  
“Shut up Tom.”  
“Maybe it's haunted.”  
“Tom you know I have a bad experience with ghosts!” Matt hugged himself, looking pale.  
Tom poked his side and made him jump, grinning. “Watch out the ghosts are gonna get you.”  
“Tom!!”  
There was a knock on their door.  
Edd and Matt and Tom stared each other down, and they all shoved Tom to the door.  
Tom opened the door, and a man was standing there. Tom scanned him up and down. No, it wasn't the person he'd now determined was the vigilante. In fact it was their luggage carrier. He looked irritated about something, but he helped them carry stuff in, driving off without a word.  
Tom sighed and leaned against the door.  
They spread out some stuff, but it was late by the time they got the couch set up and they fell asleep together, Tom shoved to the floor.  
Tom woke up in the morning feeling freezing cold.  
He shivered and hugged himself, his whole body aching from the hard floor.  
“Guys?”  
He heard snoring. But he was freezing, and damn if Matt wasn't right about tre bugs.  
He flicked a couple off of him and sat up with a groan, scooting over to the wall to lean against it.  
His head hurt like hell. As if laying on the floor wasn't bad enough.  
It was light outside, maybe an hour after dawn. Tom shivered and hugged his knees, then reached out and grabbed the wool rug and covered himself with it.  
It was itchy, and probably dirty, but it was warmer. In fact, in no time he was stiflingly hot and had to take it off.  
Edd woke up with a grunt and shoved Mrs arm off him, rolling to the floor. He sat up and blinked a little, then turned to look at Tom.  
“What’re you blushing about?”  
Tom raised an eyebrow. “You're still-” he coughed. His throat was dry, and his voice sounded rough. “You're still asleep Edd. I'm noso blushing. I'm hot. It's hot in here.”  
Edd shook his head. “I swear you need to get your senses checked. It's cold in here, it's just after dawn.”  
Tom shivered and pulled the rug back over him, suddenly feeling cold again. “Maybe if you hadn't shoved me to the floor I wouldn't have caught this fever or whatever.”  
Edd crawled over and put a hand to his forehead.  
He pulled his hand away. “You're steaming. I'll make you a hot water bottle.” Tom shrugged and Edd walked to another place in the house, cheering quietly when the water was working.  
He brought a glass over for Tom, along with a heated bag of water, but he stopped in the doorway.  
Tom was retching in the corner, and Matt was pressing himself against the opposite wall, looking nauseated. “That's gross.” He whispered to Edd. Edd shook his head. “He was sleeping on the floor, so-”  
“What if he has that yellow fever thing?”  
Edd paled. “But that's deadly!”  
“Yeah, well, he didn't want to move here in the first place.”  
“Yes he did he changed his mind. Tom I got you water.”  
Tom shook his head, slowly backing away from the gross pool in the corner, and glanced up at Edd, wiping his mouth. “Sorry.”  
Edd shook his head. “No, lay on the couch. You can have the water and whatnot, I'll see if I can find a doctor.”  
Matt looked at him. “Can I come-”  
“No, stay here with Tom. And don't catch the disease.”  
Edd grinned, then walked out the door. He grabbed the cigar the stranger dropped yesterday last second, then walked out to town, looking for an apothecary or doctor.  
He pushed into several promising places, but as soon as he described the symptoms, they kicked him out, quite rudely.  
Edd groaned and clutched his hair with one hand. If he wasn't going to get a doctor he should check on Tom. Maybe he got better.  
He was slowly walking back toward his place when he noticed the black coated man, fedora nowhere to be seen, walking across the street toward an alleyway.  
He ran forward and tugged his sleeve, pulling the cigar out of his pocket. “Hey, sir! You dropped this. Do you want it back?”  
The stranger stared at it, then smiled and took it. “Thank you.”  
Edds eyes widened. His voice held a definite accent, somewhere from Southern Europe if Edd was right.  
So he asked. “Are you from Southern Europe?”  
The stranger shook his head. “Norway. I must go.”  
Edd sighed. “Yeah. I probably should too, I have to check on my friend. I think he has a cold but all the doctors think he has the Yellow Fever.”  
The stranger stared at him a moment, then held out his hand. “Tord.”  
“What?”  
“My name. Tord.”  
Edd smiled and shook his hand. “Edd.”  
“I think I can help your friend.”  
Edds eyes widened. “Are you a doctor?”  
Tord paused a moment, then shrugged. “I can be.”  
“Well that's the best we've got so far! Can you come now?”  
Tord nodded and followed Edd to his house, standing awkwardly on the threshold for a minute before walking in.  
He saw Tom on the couch and took off his overcoat, revealing a patched red jacket.  
Edd took a step back. “Wait, are you-”  
“I can help your friend.” Tord said, staring Edd in the eye. Edd sighed. “Fine. Whatever. If we were going to die by random strangers coming into our house we'd have been dead years ago.He's on the couch.”  
Tord nodded and walked over to the couch, crouching down next to Tom, with none of the fear Edd and Matt were showing by waiting by the doorway.  
Tom was dazed but he was awake enough to glare at Tord. “Vigilante. Told you.” He mumbled, covering his face with his arm.  
Tord just smiled as Edd rolled his eyes.  
“Yeah whatever Tom. He wanted to leave Britain cause of all the adventures that kept bombarding us. You'd be amazed at how many adventures we did. We went to space, we fought the living dead. You wouldn't believe any of it.”  
Tord mumbles, “I bet I would not.” and put two fingers to Toms throat, then continued doing doctors stuff like checking his temperature that Edd and Matt would never understand. He was smiling in a bittersweet way, as though he knew something that happened that Edd and Matt didn't know.  
“I'm… going to have to check under his shirt, for his breathing.” Tord seemed uncomfortable, but Edd shrugged. “Honestly do whatever you want to him. He's too sick to care and I'm okay with anything that'll help. As long as you don't kill him I won't kill you.”  
“Touching.” Tom mumbled, glaring from under his arm.  
He flinched when Tord reached his hand under his shirt and placed his hand on Tom's chest. His hand was freaking cold!!  
Tom opened his mouth to say something smart but the feeling of wanting to throw up took over, and he shut his mouth quickly.  
He lasted for about a minute before he shoved Tord out of the way and threw up on the ground, only half missing a bucket Matt had put there.  
Tord watched, not flinching, noticing the blood that came with it.  
Tom settled back with a groan. “God it hurts.”  
Tord felt under Tom’s shirt again, taking note of his ragged breathing. He looked up to see Tom staring at him with eyes narrowed. “You better not be trying to take advantage of me.” He said, voice ragged.  
Tord blushed the smallest bit. “I do not interest in strangers?”  
Tom groaned again and dropped his head. “Look can you heal me or not?”  
“You… are far in the sickness, it may kill you before I can heal you. I will try.”  
Tom’s eyes widened, and he coughed, covering his mouth with his hand and drawing it away to see blood. He glared at Tord, then opened his mouth to say something before falling into another coughing fit.  
Tord waited, but he didn’t stop coughing for a while.  
He passed out, and Tord went back to his coat, grabbing something out of the pockets. Some sort of vial, filled with some green liquid. He walked back to Tom and tilted his head back, carefully opening his mouth.  
He waited a moment, listening to Tom's breathing, then poured the liquid in.  
A moment of nothing, then Tom's eyes flew open and he started choking, automatically trying to spit it out.  
Tord pushed at his thrust in a way that forced him to swallow it, then sat back as Tom finished his coughing fit.  
“It will work in a couple hours, it may be after you… uh…” Tord stops. Tom’s eyes were closed, and he wasn't listening.  
Then stands. “I need to ask favor. Ah, a favor. But only if he lives.”  
Edd raises an eyebrow. “What?”  
Tord looks down at Tom. “I need somewhere to live. Can live here?”  
“Why do you need somewhere to live? Is it because you're the red coated vigilante?”  
Tord shifts feet uncomfortably and says something in Norwegian.  
“I'll take that as a yes. Why should I let you- oh.”  
Edd looked at Tom. “Oohhhhh you're asking for repayment.”  
“I… can find somewhere else to live but if I do please do not tell anyone I… help you here.”  
Edd waited a minute. “How about this. You wait by Tom, and make sure to keep track of if he's okay or not. If he dies, leave, and we won't reveal you. If he lives, then consider this your home, as long as you don't reveal yourself.”  
Tord nodded, then grabbed a stool and brought it over to the couch, sitting next to Tom.  
Tom's eyes flickered open and he stared at Tord. “Oh look, you're still here.” He rasped, and Tord patted his hand. “Be quiet, we do not want you to cough again.”  
Tom flinched his hand away and glared at him. “You're accent is so annoying, stop it.”  
Edd was about to berate him but Tord was just laughing, shaking his head. “You are dying and you still be rude to strangers. I like it.”  
“Well I hate you already. I'd be nice if you weren't a stupid vigilante.”  
He started coughing and Tord sighed. “I told you do not talk.”  
“F*ck you.”  
Edd rolled his eyes and left them alone. “They'll be fine Matt come on. We need to get to bed.”  
They went to sleep, and were woken up about an hour and a half later by Tord himself. “I do not want you asleep if he does not make it. The medicine will work soon but I want to give you chance but in case.”  
Edd nodded and stood up, helping Matt to his feet as they went into the room where Tom was laying, face white and breathing shallowly, and raggedly. His eyes were closed, but he looked bad.  
Edd felt his breath catch in his throats and he knelt next to Tom, watching his face for a moment.  
Tord stood behind them, and they all stared at Tom.  
Tom's breath caught and he was silent for a second, then he twitched and started breathing again.  
“He has done that several times, it scares me every time.” Tord says. “I do not know when I got attached but I want him to live. I know him only diseased and for maybe two hours and yet I already like him.”  
“Does he seem to return?” Edd said.  
“No, he despises me. But it's okay.”  
Edd grinned. Sounds like Tom.  
Tom, who was currently laying on the couch, possibly dying.  
Tom spammed once and he took a deep breath, then went back to normal.  
Except his breaths sounded better, cleaner.  
Tord's eyes lit up and he grinned. “He is going to make it!”  
Edd turned. “What?”  
“The medicine is working he is going I make it! I know, I did this before…” his face fell. “And it worked twice, for my friends Paul and Patryck… but Peter didn't make it.”  
Edd put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Tord shook his head. “Anyway it is in the past and Tom is going to make it. He should be completely better by morning but he will be very weak and need to eat a lot, but not too much. I will make sure he's awake and okay then I will leave, to…”  
He glanced at Edd. “Is it okay if I stay here?”  
Edd nodded, stood, and embraced him. “Welcome to this home, my new friend.”  
Tord smiled and hugged him back. “Thank you.”  
The next morning Tom woke up and shouted abort stranger danger, Edd add Matt running in to see him pointing at Tord accusingly. “What are you-” he spots Edd. “What is he still doing in our house???”  
Edd hesitated. “Tom… meet Tord. He's the new addition.”  
Tom stared at him, shocked, and his face slowly started to go red and other anger.  
Edd facepalmed. “Oh boy.”


	10. HIATUS

Hey guys. I am officially on hiatus until a time that is to be determined.  
I have dropped (maybe temporarily, we'll see) out of the Eddsworld fandom and moved on to playing Overwatch 24/7  
I love the lore of the game, and just the game itself.   
I'm sorry, I know this will disappoint a lot of you, HOWEVER!  
I can still do requests for oneshots, simply because I don't have to come up with the idea of what to write myself, but otherwise, on my other works, I am 100% on hiatus until a later time. If you want to request a oneshot go to my Tomtord oneshots.  
(I will not drop stories that don't have an ending, but I won't be adding to them for a while.)  
Thanks for understanding, and if you don't, I apologize greatly.  
I have been debating if I should write Overwatch stories so if you want me to let me know in the comments. I don't know yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to request anything within the theme!


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